Toying Hearts
by Riyukku Sayuri
Summary: Sakura is in desperate love with Sasuke, yet doesn't want him to hate her, she tries any method to get him to love her, will he, or will he not? Please read and review! Arigato! status: unfinished
1. Chapter 1: First Love

**Toying Hearts**

**Genre: Naruto  
**

**By Riyukku Sayuri**

**Author's Note: **_This is my first ever Naruto fanfiction and I'm really sorry if the characters are OOC (you should know that it means "out of characterization", but if you don't, there you go), but I'm trying my best. -- This is a Sakura x Sasuke fanfiction and I know that a lot of people out there don't like her. I'm really sorry, but I just believe in the couple! XP Anyways, read and review please! Arigato!_

**Chapter One**

**First Love**

As Sakura sat on the bench in front of the Hidden Leaf Academy, she felt so lonesome, knowing that she had just cut off that friendship she had with Ino. She felt so desperate to regain their friendship, yet she felt it was never cut off, they were just becoming rivals.

"Haruno Sakura, please report to Hokage-sama," Umino Iruka called.

Sakura looked up from her hands, they were twisted and knotted in a funny way. She stared at her sensei and got up, walking stiffly to him.

"Oh don't worry, Hokage-sama just has a couple of tips for your intelligent brain. I will be right by you," he said gently, giving her a pat on the back.

"Sit down," Hokage-sama said coldly, his eyes staring into the beyond.

Sakura hesitantly sat down, her knees wobbly. She had never seen or heard Hokage-sama so cold-sounding and so harsh-looking. She took a deep breath, knowing that Iruka-sensei's hand was on her shoulder, letting her know that he was still right there, right next to her.

"So I hear you have done excellently well on the exam to become a genin," he said, staring her in the eye. Sakura gulped.

"Hai," she replied shakily. She knew he could sense it.

"Do you want a little spoiler of who Iruka has put you with for your team?" he asked, his voice no longer as harsh or cold.

"O... okay," she stammered.

"You will be in team number seven. Your leader, Uzumaki Naruto. Your teammate, Uchiha Sasuke. Got that? Now go."

Sakura could barely get enough strength to pull herself up and out of seat, Iruka having to grasp her right arm to get her steadily on her feet.

_Why did he give me a spoiler? He knows that Iruka-sensei will tell us today. Does he know something about me that I myself don't?_ Sakura wondered hesitantly.

"Congratulations for graduating, my students. Now go off and make me proud. But before that, you are assigned teams," he said, going off with the teams.

Sakura sat between Naruto and Sasuke. She didn't dare look over to him. She only wondered what Sasuke might say if she brought up something – anything. Would he look coldly at her and not reply at all? She didn't want to annoy him or "get in the way", knowing that Sasuke could beat her up in one punch. Her weakness? Him, obviously.

"Team number seven. The team's genin leader, Uzumaki Naruto. His teammates, Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura," Iruka said.

Sakura looked over to where Ino sat. She could tell Ino was jealous. Her face was expressionless yet her eyes showed the anger and fury within her. Inside, Sakura's heart was squealing for delight, yet at the same time feeling terrible that she left Ino empty-handed.

_Ino, gomen. I... I... I just wanted Sasuke to like me. I never meant to break the friendship, but it happened that way, and we're rivals now._ Sakura thought. She turned to look at Sasuke. His eyes were black and cold-looking. They looked almost frozen.

She then turned her attention towards Iruka, waiting for him to dismiss them. She couldn't help but think why she fell in "love" with Sasuke. Was it really the good looks every female shinobi was talking about? Was it? She dared not answer herself, fearing that if she came to a conclusion, she'd lose this feeling forever.

"You are dismissed," Iruka said roughly, a cough coming onto him.

The genins stood up and got out of their seats, meeting their new teammates. Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura were sitting next to each other, and so it wasn't much of a big deal since they already knew pretty much everything about each other.

"Sasuke-kun, should we... should we go meet our new sensei? Iruka-sensei had said something about meeting up with our new sensei, you know," Sakura said shyly, surprised by how quiet her voice was.

"Hm," he said, practically ignoring her. Sakura stood there, her eyes in shock, yet her heart somehow was not surprised by how cold his reply was.

"It's okay, Sakura. C'mon, let's go meet the new sensei. I betcha he rocks ass!" Naruto said excitedly, shooing Sakura's fears away.

"Naruto! Stop being dumb!" Sakura laughed, then noticed Sasuke staring cold-eyed at them. She gulped.

Sakura stared out into the beyond. It was about a month of being with her teammates and sensei, and now she was a chuunin.

"Sakura-chan, do you want something to eat?" Naruto asked, noticing her unhappy eyes.

_He's... not hyper? How... can that be? What... why...? _Sakura thought hesitantly. Yet she noticed that she hadn't eaten all morning and her stomach wanted to growl on and on.

"Um... sure, Naruto," Sakura said slowly, looking at him.

She stood up, and stared at Naruto, who got up from his crouched position and stared her hard in the eye.

_He's so... serious. Why?_

"So you've finally got her," Kakashi said, resting his head in his right hand's palm.

"Hehe, well, I guess she was hungry," he said, scratching his head as usual.

Sakura could merely stare and wonder. Stare and wonder why he was acting so serious. Then she turned to Sasuke. She caught him before he could turn away. He was... looking at her. She could see how sad and alone his black eyes were. They were dark and black, shrouded with mystery. What could she be thinking? Sasuke... her... her first love...

a/n: Yah, Naruto doesn't act serious, but you'll see why later on! Yup, yup! Later on! Read and review please! Gomen nasai for the strange OOC, this is my first Naruto fanfiction and I'm trying to make it fit their personalities correctly. Arigato for reading!


	2. Chapter 2: Facing Destiny

**Toying Hearts**

**Author's Note:**_ I hope you enjoy this second chapter. I'm working really hard on this chapter to please you all. Please read and review!!_

**Chapter Two**

**Facing Destiny**

As Sakura stood on the rocky hills of Hidden Leaf, looking over at the dimming sunset.

_How I wish you'd love me, my Sasuke. Love me... love me..._

She looked over at the village, it was a shadowy red and orange. How beautiful it was – how romantic and charming. She could only wish Sasuke was there to share this magnificent sight with her.

"Why are you up here alone?" a voice whispered.

"Huh?"

Sakura spun around to meet cold, black eyes that stared at her. She could feel her air circulation being cut off. Her body was tense and almost shaky. She took a step back, not realizing that if she took another step back, she'd slip.

"S... Sasuke, what... what are you doing here?" she asked, taking a step back.

"Sasuke!" Sakura screamed, tipping over. She screamed his name as her body began to fall backwards and she was unable to get herself back up.

"Sakura!" he shouted, reaching for her extended hand. Did he grab it on time? No. He missed.

"Sakura! Sakura! Sakura!" he yelled, jumping off the rocky edge.

"Sasuke! If I die, I love you!" she screamed, seeing that he wasn't able to reach her.

"You won't die!" he yelled back, ricocheting of the rocky side and gained just enough speed to grab Sakura's hand.

"Sasuke, why?" she yelled over the maddening _whoosh_ of their intense fall.

"Don't let go!" he yelled, ignoring her question. He saw a branch that barely stuck out of the cliff's side, and he grabbed it before they were to hit a tiny ledge poking out of the side.

Slowly, he lowered Sakura onto the ledge that they could both fit upon. Once he settled himself on the ledge, he could feel it start to slowly crumble. He looked around for any possible way to get to ground level without jumping – for they were a few hundred feet from ground level – that rocky hill wasn't an ordinary and tiny hill, but a tall and not-easy-to-climb one.

"Sasuke, what... are we going to do?" Sakura asked, noticing his tense face.

"We're going to... to... jump," he said, his face scrunching up.

"Jump?!" she screamed.

"Shush! If you do anymore this ledge will crumble – crumble with us on it!" he hushed.

Sakura's hands flew to her mouth, but Sasuke took it and then pulled both of them off the ledge and onto a larger one right when the ledge crumbled into tiny sophisticated rocks and went tumbling down the hill.

"H... how did you know?" Sakura breathed, her eyes staring at him in awe.

"I... I just knew," he said hesitantly.

He looked over to where that ledge used to be. He, too, breathed in and out, not quite sure how he sensed it.

"This ledge is safer. It won't crumble unless you open your mouth," he said cruelly.

"If you think my mouth is so loud, then why did you save me?" she questioned, her voice soft and her eyes narrowed.

"Because, like Kakashi said, you don't let your comrades die," he said.

"But why did you scream out my name then? And not something like, "Haruno!" or whatever?" she questioned, her eyes narrowing even more.

He kept silent, not saying anything. How could he answer that question? He just said it automatically, as if he had called her that his whole life. He always thought that in one of these situations, he'd call Sakura by her last name, but no, he didn't. And he nearly screamed "Sakura-chan".

"Why Sasuke? Why?!" she demanded, her voice growing louder with each second.

"Because..." he said very softly.

What?! Because of what? Why was he even talking? This wasn't him, he was doing it... on his own!

"Because I love you!" he snarled.

Sakura's green eyes stared at him in awe. Love her? Why? How? But most importantly... when?

"L... love me? Why? How? W... when?" she questioned.

"Why? I don't know you fool! My body just went on saying it! How the hell should I know what my body wants me to do?! How? Again, how should I know?! When? Just now you moron!" he yelled, scaring her half to death.

"If you love me, then why are you screaming!" she yelled, her eyes burning with forlorn tears.

He stood there, silent. He saw another ledge, grabbed her hand, and tugged her down. Once they were safely on the next ledge, the ledge they were on just a minute ago started to crumble on the sides.

"Why?" she asked.

"My freaking heart keeps doing it! I never wanted to fall in love with you or Ino! Both of you are idiots and I didn't want to fall in love with either! But I ended up with you! Okay?!" he screamed.

Sakura stood there, angry. Her face flushed with the anger that raged through her body. She grabbed his hand and pulled both of them down – she was ready for that "spectacular" landing.

"Sakura, what the fuck are you doing?!" he cursed.

"To show you how much better I am that Ino!" she yelled.

At that, she landed a grand landing, still on her feet. She stood there, Sasuke beside her, trembling from the fall.

_Sasuke, someday you will only see me – no Itachi, no Kakashi, no Naruto. You will think I'm the best – you will truly love me and know why. You will, Sasuke. You will._

a/n: Okay, sorry for the cursing, but hey, that's why it's rated PG-13! Anyways, yeah. Don't go questioning me on why Sasuke's in love with her. He just is, okay? It's a mystery right now and you're only on chapter two! So yup, read and review! Arigato!


	3. Chapter 3: Awakening Spirits

**Toying Hearts**

**Author's Note:** _Ah, chapter three! Yup, chapter three! Sorry about the weird OOC of the previous chapters – if you think that. --;; Heh, anyways, yeah. I hope you like it because I'm trying my best! Okay, please read and review! Arigato!!_

**Chapter Three**

**Awakening Spirits**

"Sakura! Sasuke! Are you alright?!" Kakashi called, running towards the two, seeing their miraculous landing.

"Yeah," Sakura said, not sure how she managed to stay more stable than Sasuke.

"Sasuke?"

"Yah," he replied coldly.

"Let's go before Naruto becomes fat – he's over at Ichiraku Ramen eating away," Kakashi said.

Sakura kept quiet, she didn't say anything and didn't make eye contact with Sasuke, although he kept looking over to her.

_You idiot, what did you say? Look at her, now she's gonna be the big star that's more powerful than you. How can you lose to a girl? A girl! How can you beat Itachi if you can't even beat the weakest, most useless girl in the whole academy?!_

_If you were true,_

_If you were honest,_

_Then will you love me?_

_And just be?_

_  
Will you be yourself?_

_True to me?_

_Stay with me  
And be, be, be  
Oh, oh, yourself._

"Sasuke, wake up," Sakura said gently to the young man who slept in a grass-woven mat.

"Hm?" he moaned, turning away from her.

"Sasuke, wake up," she said again, this time into his ear, slowly and gently nudging him.

"Naruto?" he moaned again.

"No, it's me, Sakura. Wake up," she whispered.

"SASUKE! WAKE UP!" Naruto screamed behind Sakura, making her topple on top of Sasuke.

"NARUTO!" Sakura screamed as she toppled onto Sasuke.

Sasuke's eyes flittered open when he felt something almost heavy on top of his body. His black eyes trailed upwards to meet the back of Sakura's head. His eyes went wide as he stared in awe.

"Naruto! What are you doing!" Sakura yelled, slapping his right cheek.

"Ouch! I was just trying to get Sasuke awake! Psh, and you say _I'm_ the laziest?!" he said ruefully.

"Sasuke-kun is _not _the laziest! You are!" she yelled.

"At least I'm a better fighter than you!" he shouted.

At that Sakura stood there, her eyes wide. He... insulted... her? He never did and she thought he never would. She was so caught up with Sasuke... she forgot about... him...

"Well, I have better stamina than you!" she screamed.

"So what? I hate you Haruno Sakura!" he yelled, running off, his eyes full of fury.

Sasuke stared in awe. Naruto hating Sakura? Impossible! He would never hate her – he would never. Was he just saying that or... was it true?

"S... Sasuke, what... what happened?" Sakura breathed.

"I... I don't know," he replied. Was that demon in Naruto awakening? Was that... deadly demon's spirit actually... awaking once... again?

a/n: Yeah, I know Naruto would never say something so hurtful to Sakura, but you never know, right? Anyways, read and review! Arigato!


	4. Chapter 4: Naruto's Hunt

**Toying Hearts**

**Author's Note:** Chapter four is now up! Well, I'm not sure if the characters' profiles are kept normal but I'm trying! Anyways, please enjoy! Read and review! Arigato!

**Chapter Four**

**Naruto's Hunt**

"Sakura, let's go. We better cool off Naruto before he really turns into that demon fox," Sasuke said coldly, getting up from his straw mat and sliding on his forehead protector.

"But... he hates me. Why should I go?" she pouted.

"Well, you better go," he said harshly, grabbing her wrist.

"Let go!" she screamed, but he didn't. His hands were cold too. They felt cold like ice, frozen.

"Let's go," he said, his black eyes cold and icy.

He tugged her as she struggled. She dug her nails into his cold, icy flesh, but it did no effect. He was too powerful for her to fight.

"Sasuke, let go of me!" Sakura screamed, trying bite his skin. 

He stayed silent, not even looking at her. Was this some kind of joke they were pulling on her? No, couldn't be. It just couldn't. The Sasuke she knew by heart would never do that and was so cold and... and acted so forlorn.

"Sasuke!" she screamed. It didn't work.

_What if... I did something... warm? Would... would that make his icy heart melt?_

"Sasuke," she said bringing herself to his pace. He looked at her with his cold eyes for the first time.

"Sasuke," she said bringing herself closer to him, so that she could feel his body heat. It was warm and not cold.

He stared at her, not knowing what she was doing. She only brought herself closer to him until their bodies met. Closer, closer. When she could feel the texture of his shirt, she knew that it was now that she could move on and accomplish her plan.

"Sasuke," she whispered into his ear, bringing herself to him. She placed her right hand on his chest. He stopped.

"What are you doing?" he snarled.

"This," she whispered, bringing her lips to his.

She could feel the tenseness in them. His lips were shaky while hers proved strong. He was still cold and his hand still held her left wrist, but slowly he began to "unfold". He had never felt this feeling before. This... strange feeling that Sakura was always trying to share with him.

He broke away from that sensational feeling, he broke away from it with disgust; disgust towards himself. He broke away with anger. If he'd let his feelings "mush" together, then how would he kill Itachi? How would he win? How? He would be pressured too much on that insane feeling.

"W... what happened? Didn't you like it?" she asked, her eyes hurt and pained.

"We... we must go to Naruto now!" he said, his body turning cold once again.

"Sasuke, why?" she whispered, her voice sobbing.

He did not reply, did not look back, yet on the inside his heart was screaming for more – to embrace her, to hold her.

_Damn it, how can you think like this when you're only intension is to kill your forbidden brother?! Once you kill him, you must train and train on and on, for others will come. No Sakura. She is just a get-in-the-way._

His mind shook with fear as he kept on throwing reasons at himself why it was a good idea that he broke from the kiss, yet his heart screamed for her.

_Sasuke... did I do something wrong?_

_------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

"Naruto! Come back here!" Kakashi yelled.

Naruto leapt across trees and flew over their tops as Kakashi chased him. His eyes were fox-like and his movement was swift. His leaps were high and far, and his heart was black and cold.

"I will kill Haruno Sakura," he chanted to himself, his demon foxed eyes glowing vibrantly. They showed signs of murder. He was out to kill – this was his hunt.

"Naruto!" Sakura yelled, leaping up to Naruto.

"Die!" he screamed, taking out his kunai and aiming to stab her in the forehead.

"Sasuke!" she screamed, leaping over to another treetop.

"Die! Die! Die!" he screamed, running forward, replacing his kunai with five shurikens.

He began to throw the shurikens, just barely missing Sakura until it just barely cut her left leg. It began to bleed but it wasn't painful, and so Sakura kept on running, her heart beating.

_That's his last shuriken, I better act quick – do what he always wanted me to do._

She stopped and ran towards him, swinging her arms around him and pushing her lips onto his. She felt guilty of doing this, because it was Sasuke she loved, but it was Naruto's life at stake.

_I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I love you. I love you. I do. I do. Don't leave me. Don't leave me. It is you I love. It is you I love. Love me back, please. Love me back, please. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I never wanted it to be this way. I never wanted it to be this way. Don't say goodbye. Don't say goodbye. I love you. I love you. Forever. Forever. I do. I do. Forever. Forever._

Sasuke stared at her in awe. Wasn't it he she loved? Why? He didn't understand as he watched Sakura press her lips closer to him. His heart began to crack, to break. Sakura... loved... loved... Naruto. Did she just play with his heart? Did she?

Once she broke the kiss, Naruto had turned to normal and was dazed, falling onto the treetop's bend.

"Sasuke, I..." she began, but he cut her off.

"I was an idiot! You played with my heart! You played with me!" Sasuke screamed.

a/n: Oh boy, I think I turned this Sasuke x Sakura fic into something huge. Well, anyways, I suppose if you look at Sakura's point of view, she did it for a pretty good reason, right? Anyways, please read and review! Arigato!


	5. Chapter 5: A Lesson In Love

**Toying Hearts**

**Author's Note:** Okay, yes, they're big, OOC plots. I'm really sorry! Okay, Sasuke isn't like that, is he? Okay well, this is just my point of view, so just go ahead and read. Please read and review! Arigato!!

**Chapter Five**

**A Lesson In Love**

As Sasuke turned his back in pain, he could feel tears burning in his eyes. No, that was the old him, the weak him. He wasn't weak anymore, he was stronger, he had no feelings. No feelings whatsoever. He tried to convince himself to believe that, but it just wouldn't go with his lifestyle – he was always the pretending-to-be-manly one, and that was why Itachi was able to kill his clan… he was weak, not manly. So he tried to avoid the emotions and leave himself emotionless.

"Sasuke!" Sakura called, running down the tree. He stayed quiet.

"Sasuke, we need to talk," she said, gripping his left wrist in her right hand and pulling her away.

_We do… _Sasuke's heart grumbled.

"Sasuke, you don't understand, what you saw was only for Naruto's sake! You must believe me! In my heart it is you I love, my soul aches for you when you act like you don't care. Did you know that? I've waited for you my whole life, and now I have the chance, don't break it for me – don't break it for you," Sakura said hesitantly.

"How can I trust you? I can't even trust my brother who killed my clan! Go, leave, be happy with Naruto," he said harshly, his voice icy and cold. He pulled his wrist out of her clutches.

"Sasuke! You don't understand!" she said, gripping his hand with unbelievably powerful strength.

_That strength… she never had that… is it that… "strength of love" Hokage-sama was lecturing us on that day? "The most powerful strength is the strength that comes from the heart – it is the 'strength of love'. Remember that, for this lesson may come in handy for some of you," he had said. Is this Sakura's love strength?_

"Sasuke, do you see something?" she asked, her eyes broad and honest.

"I see… you…" he said slowly.

"And what do you feel?"

"Y… you."

"What do you hear?"

"You."

"Who is it you love?"

"…You…"

"This is Hokage-sama's lesson in love," she said, releasing his wrist from her grip.

a/n: Well, that's one lesson in love, will they have another? Read and review! Read and review! Arigato!


	6. Chapter 6: Flustered

Toying Hearts

**Toying Hearts**

**Chapter Six**

**Flustered**

"Sakura! I heard Naruto wanted to kill you!" Ino puffed, tired of running around the academy looking for Sakura.

"Hai, he did," she replied stiffly.

"Why so stiff? Lost Sasuke?" her voice teased, yet her eyes were serious.

"No, I didn't lose him," she replied.

"Didn't lose him?"

"I didn't. You did."

"NANI?! You ugly, big-forehead baka!" Ino screamed.

Sakura merely walked away, knowing that whatever she said would never change the true fact that Sasuke was in love with her, no matter what.

"Naruto, how are you feeling?" Kakashi questioned, checking Naruto's temperature.

"I feel fine, damn it!" Naruto shouted, pushing himself up from his bed.

"You aren't. You suffered quite the fever after your demon siege," Kakashi replied, pushing Naruto down on his bed.

"DEMON SIEGE?!" Naruto yelled at the top of his lungs.

"Hai. That nine-tailed fox demon was getting to you. Your chakra usage went up pretty high with your murderous rampage. You wanted to kill your teammate," he said calmly.

"Who? Sasuke?" he questioned.

"You never remember what you do," Kakashi sighed, then answered, "You tried to kill Sakura."

"What?!"

"Yup, Sakura."

"No, no, no!"

"Yes, yes, yes."

"How is that possible?! Hah, explain that!"

"You were angry at her and the demon took hold of you."

"No demon took hold of me! No demon!"

"Yes, a demon. The nine-tailed fox demon. With your "red chakra", you obtained it's skillful ways and your angry increased dramatically, as well as your chakra," Kakashi explained.

This time Naruto was quiet and listened. How could he ever try to kill Sakura? He adored her – he did, he really, truly did.

"W… why?" Naruto asked.

"I don't know. You're eyes suddenly went haywire and changed… to appear as the fox's eyes. You then began running on the treetops, throwing your shurikens here and there, almost killing passerby animals. I felt ashamed of you, but yet it _wasn't_ you. Get what I'm saying?" he explained.

Naruto nodded his head; for once he wasn't lying just to look "better" than Sasuke. This time he really understood.

_So this is the source from which I've been sensing all of that chakra._

He stared at himself in awe, not able to control his emotions. He wanted to flood out a river of tears, yet remembered his own words on crying only when happy. He didn't get it – he just really didn't.

a/n: Okay, yah, that's it for now! Read and review! Read and review! Arigato!


End file.
